Donald Trump has been involved in numerous incidents and controversies that have been widely criticized as racist throughout his personal and professional life. Here’s a comprehensive list of some of the most notable examples:
Personal and Professional Life
1970s
- Housing Discrimination Lawsuit (1973):
- The U.S. Department of Justice sued Trump and his father for discriminating against Black renters. The case was settled without an admission of guilt, but the Trumps were required to take steps to prevent discrimination in their properties.
1980s
- Central Park Five (1989):
- Trump took out full-page newspaper ads calling for the death penalty for five Black and Latino teenagers accused of raping a white woman in Central Park. The men were later exonerated, but Trump continued to insist on their guilt even after DNA evidence proved otherwise.
1990s
- Native American Remarks:
- Trump made derogatory comments about Native American tribes involved in casino projects, suggesting they were not "real Indians" and alleging they had criminal records.
2000s
- "The Apprentice" Allegations:
- Former contestants and producers have alleged that Trump used racially insensitive language during his time on the reality TV show "The Apprentice." For example, he reportedly used a racial slur to refer to a Black contestant, Kwame Jackson.
2010s
- Birther Movement (2011-2016):
- Trump was a leading proponent of the debunked conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. This movement was widely criticized as racially motivated.
- Presidential Campaign Launch (2015):
- Trump launched his 2016 presidential campaign by calling Mexican immigrants "rapists" and criminals, which set the tone for his campaign's racial rhetoric.
- Muslim Ban (2015):
- Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," a statement that was widely condemned as Islamophobic.
- Judge Gonzalo Curiel (2016):
- Trump claimed that Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who was overseeing a case against Trump University, could not be impartial because of his Mexican heritage.
- Charlottesville Comments (2017):
- After a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump said there were "very fine people on both sides," implying moral equivalence between white supremacists and counter-protesters.
- NFL Protests (2017):
- Trump repeatedly attacked NFL players, most of whom are Black, for kneeling during the national anthem to protest systemic racism.
- "Shithole Countries" Remark (2018):
- Trump reportedly referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations as "shithole countries" during an immigration meeting, suggesting the U.S. should accept more immigrants from countries like Norway.
- "Pocahontas" Slur (2019):
- Trump repeatedly mocked Senator Elizabeth Warren by calling her "Pocahontas," a derogatory reference to her claims of Native American ancestry. He also appeared to mock the Trail of Tears in a tweet.
- Comments on Democratic Congresswomen (2019):
- Trump tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen of color should "go back" to the "totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came," a comment widely condemned as racist.
2020s
- Attacks on Black Prosecutors:
- Trump has used racially charged language to attack Black prosecutors involved in legal cases against him, including calling them "animals" and "racist".
- COVID-19 Rhetoric:
- Trump referred to COVID-19 as the "Chinese Virus" and "Kung Flu," terms criticized for fueling anti-Asian sentiment.
Conclusion
Donald Trump's history is marked by numerous incidents and statements that have been widely criticized as racist. These actions span his career as a real estate developer, reality TV star, and politician, reflecting a pattern of behavior that has had significant social and political implications.